hic dea silvarum venatu fessa solebat virgineos artus liquido perfundere rore. quo postquam subiit, nympharum tradidit uni vincla duae pedibus demunt. Nam doctior illis per nemus ignotum non certis passibus errans. quae quamquam comitum turba est stipata suarum, dat spatium collo, summasque cacuminat aures, 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 cum pedibusque manus, cum longis bracchia mutat 'Me miserum!' dicturus erat, vox nulla secuta est : Quid faciat? repetatne domum et regalia tecta ? an lateat silvis? pudor hoc, timor impedit illud. dum dubitat, videre canes. primumque Melampus Ichnobatesque sagax latratu signa dedere, Gnosius Ichnobates, Spartana gente Melampus. inde ruunt alii rapida velocius aura, 200 205 Pamphagus et Dorceus et Oribasus, Arcades omnes, 210 Nebrophonusque valens et trux cum Laelape Theron, et pedibus Pterelas, et naribus utilis Agre, Hylaeusque ferox nuper percussus ab apro, deque lupo concepta Nape, pecudesque secuta Poemenis, et natis comitata Harpyia duobus, et substricta gerens Sicyonius ilia Ladon et Dromas et Canace Sticteque et Tigris et Alce, et niveis Leucon, et villis Asbolus atris, praevalidusque Lacon et cursu fortis Aëllo et Thous et Cyprio velox cum fratre Lycisce, et patre Dictaeo, sed matre Laconide nati Labros et Agriodus, et acutae vocis Hylactor, 215 220 quosque referre mora est. Ea turba cupidine praedae 225 per rupes scopulosque adituque carentia saxa quaque est difficilis, quaque est via nulla, sequuntur. ille fugit per quae fuerat loca saepe secutus, heu famulos fugit ipse suos! clamare libebat 230 235 240 245 250 VIII. PYRAMUS AND THISBE. [Book IV.55-166.] [SEMELE, a descendant of Cadmus, became the Mother of Bacchus, but was destroyed by the presence of Jupiter, whom she desired to see clothed with flames and thunder (III. 253-315). Tiresias, the Theban seer, is made blind, but endowed with prophecy (316-338). The nymph Echo, pining with love of Narcissus, becomes a rock, her voice alone surviving (339-401); while Narcissus, gazing on his image in a fountain, perishes, and by the water-nymphs is converted to a flower (402-510). Pentheus, having denied the god Bacchus, and forbidden his solemnities, and caused him to be seized, is torn in pieces by Bacchanals, his mother and sisters aiding: Bacchus meanwhile (in the form of Acætes) relates the miracle wrought by himself upon a Tyrrhenian crew, whose ship's tackle he had converted to serpents, and themselves to dolphins (511-733). Three Theban sisters (Minyeides) likewise refrain from the rites of Bacchus: of whom one relates the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe (IV. 1-54).] These young lovers, dwelling in Babylon, had appointed a meeting at the tomb of king Ninus (55-92). Thisbe, coming first, is terrified by a lion and so escapes. Pyramus, soon arriving, finds tracks of the beast and the torn mantle of Thisbe; and conceiving that she is slain, stabs himself with his sword, his blood reddening the fruit of the mulberry, at whose foot he lies (93-127). Thisbe, soon returning, finds him dying, and slays herself with the sword yet warm (128–166). PYRAMUS et Thisbe, juvenum pulcherrimus alter, altera, quas Oriens habuit, praelata puellis, contiguas tenuere domos, ubi dicitur altam. coctilibus muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem. notitiam primosque gradus vicinia fecit: 55 tempore crevit amor; taedae quoque jure coïssent, sed vetuere patres. Quod non potuere vetare, 60 ex aequo captis ardebant mentibus ambo: conscius omnis abest; nutu signisque loquuntur. Quoque magis tegitur, tectus magis aestuat ignis. id vitium nulli per saecula longa notatum -- saepe, ubi constiterant, hinc Thisbe, Pyramus illinc, Postera nocturnos aurora removerat ignes, solque pruinosas radiis siccaverat herbas : ad solitum coïere locum. Tum murmure parvo multa prius questi, statuunt ut nocte silenti fallere custodes foribusque excedere temptent, cumque domo exierint, urbis quoque tecta relinquant ; neve sit errandum lato spatiantibus arvo, conveniant ad busta Nini, lateantque sub umbra Pacta placent; et lux, tarde discedere visa, praecipitatur aquis, et aquis nox surgit ab îsdem. callida per tenebras versato cardine Thisbe egreditur fallitque suos, adopertaque vultum 65 70 75 80 85 90 |